WASHINGTON (Nexstar)- Texas Congressmen August Pfluger and Tony Gonzales, together with 198 of their Republican Party colleagues, have pledged to oppose any legislation that eliminates or weakens pro-life provisions currently in law.

The letter comes after Democrats threatened to eliminate or weaken the Hyde Amendment, a ban on taxpayer-funded abortions that have been in place for four decades.

“The Hyde Amendment is a bipartisan effort to protect and defend unborn life and prevent taxpayer dollars from going towards abortions,” Pfluger says. “Democrats have now reversed course and are threatening to wield their control to overturn this important provision. The people of the 11th District of Texas are vehemently opposed to their taxpayer dollars being used to pay for abortions. Every unborn child should have the right to life, and I pledge to be a voice to the voiceless and do everything I can to protect the Hyde Amendment.”

“I am determined to protect the lives of innocent children by keeping federal funding off-limits to subsidize abortions,” says Gonzales. “Taxpayers should not be forced to contribute to causes that go against their conscience. ”